Method and apparatus for anchoring one end of continuously advancing material



1969 P. s. E. FREDRIKSSON 3,472,

METHOD AND APPAR 5 FOR ANCHQRING ONE END OF CONTINUOU ADVANCING MATERIAL Fild April 4, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig1v 9 (P; s. E. 'FREDRIKSSON 3.

IMETHQD AND APPARATUS FOR ANCHORING ONE END OF CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4; 1968 3 man a $3 an 5 Mn 8 g Uf. 14,1969 'P. s. s. 'finsoamssoN 3. 3

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANCHORING ONE. END OF CONTINUOUSLY ADVANOING MATERIAL Filed April 4, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent 3,472,461 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ANCHORING ONE END OF CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING MATERIAL Per Sven Engelbrekt Fredriksson, Jakobsbergsgatan 32, Vasteras, Sweden Filed Apr. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 718,876 Claims priority, application Sweden, Apr. 20, 1967, 5,591/ 67 Int. Cl. B65h 65/00, 75/28 US. Cl. 242-25 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention is concerned with a method of coiling long, continuous lengths of material, such as metal or plastic wire, rod etc., onto a Winding head provided with a carrier groove extending in the circumferential direction of said head and arranged at the inner periphery thereof.

There are various methods known in the art for securing or anchoring the end of a long length of wire or rod material to a rotating body, all of these methods, however, presenting disadvantages of one type or another. Certain of the methods are extremely limited in their application owing to the fact that only material which is advanced at a relatively low speed can be secured or anchored thereby. In the case of other methods where higher working speeds are applied, one disadvantage is that the leading portion of the secured end is attached radially outwards from the rotating drum thereby disturbing following turns of material which are coiled so that they press against the radially extending end of the material.

The invention, which is intended to eliminate the aforementioned and other disadvantages is directed to a method of positively attaching rapidly advanced continuous material to the winding head, by means of a substantially automatic operation, in such a way that following coils of material are not damaged.

In accordance herewith the invention is mainly characterized in that the leading end portion of the material is anchored, while the winding head is rotating, by advancing and guiding said end portion to a position opposite the carrier groove and successively subjecting the incoming end portion of the material to a pressure which forces said end portion at least partially down into said groove, whereafter the pressure is removed and winding of the material is continued.

The invention is also concerned with an apparatus for putting the method according to the invention into effect, the said apparatus including a rotatably driven winding head presenting a circumferential carrier groove located at the inner periphery, and a means for advancing the material towards the winding head and guiding said material relative to said head, and is mainly characterized by a pressure means movable toward and away from a position opposite to and close to the carrier groove to successively apply at the beginning of the winding operation a pressure to the incoming leading end portion of the material and force the same at least partially into the carrier groove. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention the pressure means comprises a sector-shaped, rotatable roller means which is adapted to roll against the leading end portion of the material while depressing the same into the carrier groove, and which cooperates with means for holding the depressing peripheral portion of the roller means, after having performed its function, out of contact with said material until the pressure means is moved from said position close to the carrier groove.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to an embodiment of the same shown diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, further characterizing features of the invention being disclosed in con junction therewith.

FIGURE 1 shows, substantially in radial section, a portion of a winding head and associated support flange, and illustrates the anchoring of the leading end of the material to be wound in a carrier groove located in the support surface of the winding head, by means of a depressing means according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 shows in perspective a winding apparatus according to the invention provided with said carrier groove and depressing means. The figure also shows a material guiding means and a means for removing th outer flange of the winding head as Well as a coiled spool of material removed from said winding head.

FIGURES 3-6 illustrate different stages or positions of a depressing means in accordance with the invention.

In order to illustrate more clearly the method according to the invention, reference is primarily made to FIG- URE 1 in which is shown a longitudinal portion 10 of a winding head, the extension of which is: restricted by two radial flanges of which one is fixed and the other removable, and wherein of the said two flanges only the central portion 11 of the fixed flange is shown in the figure. Also shown in the figure is a so-called carrier groove 12 suitably provided with friction surfaces and which is arranged to extend around the winding head, close into the central portion 11 of the fixed flange. The leading end 13 of the material being wound on the head, e.g. aluminum Wire, is shown inserted in said carrier groove 12, having been forced into the groove by means of a depressing means 14 in the form of a roller or the like. The roller means 14 is mounted for rotation, by means of a stud 15, in a support arm 16 which, according to the invention, can be moved away to allow room for additional layers of material to be coiled on the winding head. The reference numeral 17 in the figure indicates a curve or cam member which is fixed to the stud 15 and cooperates with a pawl 18 which is guided, in a manner to be described later, by means of a link or draw rod 19 and a coil spring 20 arranged thereon.

It is assumed, in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, that the roller means 14 is in the shape of a sector. It is further assumed that the cam member 17 is so designed and cooperates in such a manner with the pawl 18 that the sector-shaped roller means 14 is held in a rest position, indicated by the dotted line. The roller means 14 is located at such a distance from the surface of the winding head 28 that the incoming end 13 of the material is initially gripped between the periphery of the roller means 14 and the walls of the groove 12, whereby the end of the material is automatically caught in the groove. By rotation of the roller means 14 and the winding head the end of the material is successively depressed into the carrier groove 12, until it reaches the position shown in the figure.

FIGURE 1 also shows a stop pin 22 which restricts the movement of rotation of the roller means 14, so that subsequent to completing the depressing operation, it is stopped in a determined position and retained there by means of the pawl 18.

FIGURE 2 shows, in perspective, a winding apparatus particularly suited for effecting the method according to the invention and which mainly comprises a base portion 23 provided with a removable cover member 24 which forms a support for an electric motor 25, which, via a conventional coupling 26 and a gear box (not shown in detail) arranged within the base portion, causes a solid shaft 27 to rotate. This shaft, however, is often in the form of a tube, to receive a connecting rod for operating the winding apparatus.

The shaft 27 supports a winding head 28 of the so-called expanding type, i.e. comprising in a known manner peripherally arranged segments which when moved relative to a winding core causes the diameter of the winding head to be reduced or increased respectively. The winding head 28 on the side of the base portion is restricted by the flange 29, which, as shown in FIGURE 1, is securely connected at its central portion 11 to the shaft 27. The winding apparatus also presents at its outer end a second flange 30 which is removably arranged relative to the winding head 28, through the intermediary of a split ring 31 which, for instance, engages in a suitable groove in the end of the shaft 27 and which with one support surface urges the inside of the flange 38 into positive abutment with the outer end of the winding head 28.

As indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2 the flange 38 can be removed, for instance by means of an arm 34 pivotally mounted about a vertical shaft 33 and provided with an opening 35 for receiving a corresponding axial annular flange 36 on the outer side of the flange 30. The arm 34 is designed as a stirrup presenting two resilient leg members 37 which are capable of being drawn together at 38 by means of a suitable bolt or clamp 39 or the like. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable a coil 40 of material wound on the winding head 28 to be removed, subsequent to collapsing the winding head, from said head and move the coiled material to the position shown to the right of the figure. In this embodiment, to facilitate the removal of the coiled material, two rails 41 and 42 are provided which form guide means for a suitable carriage or the like 43, which can be raised or lowered and by which the coil can be lifted free from the winding head and moved away from the apparatus.

Arranged between the winding head 28 and the central portion 11 of the inner flange 29 is the carrier groove 12, which is shown in more detail in FIGURE 1. Also shown in FIGURE 2 is the sector-shaped roller means 14 and the cam member 17. The roller means 14, as is best seen from FIGURE 1, is arranged to operate immediately over the annular groove 12 in the winding head 28.

The support arm 16 shown in FIGURE 1 is also shown in FIGURE 2 and comprises a swingable arm which is fixed to a shaft 44 pivotally mounted in bearing brackets 45 and 46 resting on a support or the like 47 which extends upwardly from the cover 24 of the base portion 23. The shaft 44 also supports a forked lever arm 48 fixed to said shaft and which is actuated by a piston rod 49 projecting from a hydraulic or pneumatic pressure cylinder 50. The pressure cylinder is, in turn, pivotally supported in a bracket means by means of trunnions 51.

FIGURE 2 also shows a stationary, depending arm 52 which is fixed to the bearing bracket 46 by means of a support bracket 53.

Pivotally attached to the arm 52 is a stud 54 which supports, by means of a slide bearing, the pull rod 19 shown in FIGURE 1, which in turn is pivotally connected with the pawl 18. The pawl 18 is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 55 which is connected with the arm 16. The pull rod 19 is provided with the coil spring 20, also shown in FIGURE 1. As can be seen from FIG- URE 2 the pawl 18 cooperates with the cam member 17 in a manner which will be described in more detail with reference to FIGURES 36.

Shown in the right hand portion of FIGURE 2 is the front end 13 of a continuous length of material moving in the direction of the arrow on a table 56 the cross extension of which table is restricted by edge pieces 57 and 58. Arranged at the end of the table 56 adjacent the winding apparatus is a U-shaped support bar 59 which forms a guide for a block 68 in which is disposed a conically shaped hole communicating with a guide tube 61 projecting from said block 60; the arrangement being primarily intended to lead the end 13 and thereafter the material to be coiled towards the carrier groove 12 adjacent the flange 29, and then to move the material in the axial direction of the winding head forwards and backwards between the flanges 29 and 30 on said head so that the material is wound in superimposed layers upon said head. The block 60, presenting the conically shaped opening is, in the shown embodiment, adapted to the moved in the U-shaped channel 59 by means of a piston rod 62 extending from a pressure cylinder 63. The block 60 is also pivotally connected with side pieces 64 and 65, which are adapted to lead the front end of the material to the block 60 and which extend freely between suitable guide rollers 66 and 67 and 68 and 69, respectively, as an extension of the side pieces "57 and 58. Consequently, it is possible by this arrangement to adjust the angular positions of the members 64 and in response to the translatory movement of the block 60.

It is also necessary to adjust the level of the tube 61 in relation to the increasing diameter of the coil of material formed during winding of the material onto the head, and consequently pressure cylinders 74) are placed under the table 56 and which, via respective pistons 71, are each pivotally connected, via a bracket 72, with the table 56 to raise and lower the same in accordance with the diameter of the coil.

To prevent the other end of the material from Whipping during the rotation of the head upon completion of the winding operation a so-called capture ring 73 is positioned behind the fixed flange 29 and is broken at 74 at the top thereof. The capture ring 73 is normally held in a position behind the flange 29 and presents an inner diameter which is somewhat greater than the outer diameter of the flange 29 so that it can be passed over the same. To enable the ring 73 to be passed over the outer diameter of the flange 29, the said ring is supported by piston rod '75 which extends from a pressure cylinder 76, one such cylinder being positioned on either side of the base portion 23. When supplying pressure medium to the cylinder 76 at some suitable stage at the end of the winding operation, the ring 73 can be passed over the flange 29 and at least some turns of the coiled material, thus preventing the end of the material from causing damage to the apparatus or injury to personnel.

To enable the coiled material to be parceled into a compact package and to prevent the free end of the material from springing outwards, the flange 29, the winding head 28 and the flange 39 have been provided with grooves 77, 78 and 80 into which binding tape or the like can be introduced; said grooves 77, 78 merging, via gently rounded junction portions 79, into the axial grooves 80 disposed in the winding head, so that it is possible to introduce the binding material, e.g. the tape 81 shown in the right hand portion of the figure while the coil of material is still in position on said winding head.

To provide for access to the grooves, 77, 78 and 80, in the flanges and winding head the opening 74 in the ring 73 has been designed so that the binding material can be passed easily through the grooves 77 until, subsequent to passing through the groove 80 and the groove 78, it can be joined and fastened to the top of the coil, as shown to the right in FIGURE 2. Of course, it is necessary, when the machine has stopped, to turn the winding head to positions where respective grooves 77 are situated opposite the opening 74 in the ring 73, while introducin the binding tape into the groups of grooves 77, 8t), '78. As shown in FIGURE 2 the ends of the binding tape 81 can then be fastened together by means of known fastening tags, indicated in the drawing by the reference numeral 82. The binding operation is repeated, as shown in the example, so that, for instance, three tapes are wound around the coil, whereafter the segments of the winding head are caused to contract by moving the shaft 27 to the right so that the split ring 31 can be released and removed. The stirrup legs 37 on the arm 34 are then moved against the flange 30 and grip around the ring 36. The ring 36, and thus also the flange 30, is locked to the member 34 by screws 39 and moved to one side, whereupon the compact package of coiled material can be drawn off the winding head 28 on the carriage 43 and moved away from the winding apparatus.

The flange 30 is then returned to its position on the winding head. The split ring 31 is replaced and the winding head 28 caused to expand by moving the shaft 27 to the left in the figure.

To further illustrate the method according to the invention, which comprises a positive anchoring of the incoming end of the material to be wound in a groove situated in the winding head, and also the apparatus shown in the FIGURES 1 and 2 for putting the method into effect, reference is made to the diagrammatic position illustrations in FIGURES 3-6 of the primary active details in said embodiments. The details in FIGURES 3-6 which are identical with details shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 are identified by the same reference numerals.

FIGURES 3-6, and primarily FIGURE 3, show the expandable winding head 28 comprising movable segments 10, the flange 29 situated nearest the drive machinery and the carrier groove 12. The drawings also show the arm 16 pivotable on the shaft 44, and the stud 48 which is pivotally connected with the piston rod 49 projecting from the pressure cylinder 50.

The sector-shaped roller means 14 is shown in FIGURE 3 in its position of readiness, which is opposite the groove 12 immediately before the incoming end 13 of the material comes into contact with the roller means 14. As can also be seen in FIG. 3 the cam member 17 fixed to the roller means 14 via the pin 15 is in such a position of rotation that the pawl 18 rests against the curved periphery of the cam member 17, enabling the roller means 1 4 to roll freely through a restricted arc in a clockwise direction when the end of the material enters below its periphery, and positively connects the same with the winding head 28, which rotates in a counter-clockwise direction, while pressing the end 13 into the groove 12. Hence, the pawl 18 is held in position by the draw rod 19 connected between the same and the stirrup 54, the draw rod 19 being controlled by the action of the coil spring 20. It should be noted in this connection that the arm 52 is always stationary and that the draw rod is movably mounted in the stirrup 54 so that the spring can yieldingly urge the pawl against the periphery of the cam member FIGURE 4 illustrates a position in which the details of FIGURE 3 have moved relative to one another subsequent to the end 13 being partly rolled into the groove 12 by the sector-shaped roller means 14, which at this stage is still rolling against the end 13. It should also be noted that the piston rod 49 retains the arm 16 in the same position as that shown in FIGURE 3, i.e. the starting position.

In the stage shown in FIGURE 5 the end 13 of the incoming material has been rolled into the groove 12 to an extent which substantially corresponds to the peripheral are on the roller means 14, which has just been rotated clockwise out of contact with the material. Thus,

the cam member 17 has also been rotated out of contact with the material so that the pawl 18, through the action of the spring 20, snaps behind a shoulder on the cam member. The roller means 14 is thus prevented from ro tating back clockwise into contact with the material, which now starts to be wound into a first turn on the winding head 28.

The entire roller arrangement, however, now constitutes an obstruction to the continued winding of the material onto the head, and must therefore be moved to one side, into a resting position. As is shown in FIGURE 6 this is caused by drawing the piston into the cylinder 50, whereupon the arm 16 is swung into a position where all details are located at a sufiicient distance from the operation space of the winding head. As the different parts of the rolling arrangement are moved to one side, the pawl 18 is pulled down from the cam member 17 by the rod 19. The roller means 14 is so balanced that it can freely swing down to the stop pin 22 (see FIGURE 1), approximately to the shown position of rotation, and remains in this position in readiness for the next rolling operation, when the arm 16 is re-swung to the starting position shown in FIGURE 3; the pawl resting once again, under spring pressure, against the arc of the cam member 17.

What is claimed is:

1. A method in the winding of continuous material onto a winding head provided with a carrier groove extending in the circumferential direction of said head and arranged at the inner periphery thereof, characterized in that the leading end portion of the material to be wound is anchored, while the winding head is rotating, by advancing and guiding the said end portion to a position opposite the carrier groove, and successively subjecting the incoming end portion to a pressure which forces said end portion at least partially into the carrier groove, whereupon the pressure is released and the winding operation continued.

2. An arrangement for putting into effect the method of winding continuous material in accordance with claim 1, including a rotatably driven winding head presenting a circumferential carrier groove located at the inner periphery, means for advancing the material to the head and guiding the same relative to said head, pressure means capable of moving towards and away from a position opposite and adjacent the carrier groove to successively apply at the beginning of the winding operation a pressure to the incoming end portion of the material, and at least partially depress the said end portion into the carrier groove.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the pressure means is mounted on an arm which is pivotally mounted about a pin which extends substantially parallel with the axis of rotation of the winding head.

4. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the pressure means comprises a rotatable roller means, adapted to roll against the leading end portion of the material while depressing said end-portion into the carrier groove.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the roller means is in the shape of a sector and cooperates with means for holding the depressing peripheral portion of the roller means, subsequent to having performed its function, out of contact with said material until the roller means is moved away from said position close to the carrier groove.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,789,775 4/ 1957 Thompson 242--25 3,011,730 12/1961 Martino 242-25 NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner 

